Review by Contrapunctus

Although the DSD remastering dates back to 2004, the sound of this SHM-SACD is truly excellent and fully justifies this new reprint. What makes this recording unique among all other Brandenburg Concertos is that the first movement of the Second Concerto was included on the Voyager Golden Records, which have been traveling into deep space since 1977.

This new remastering for SACD delivers these classic, but energetic accounts of Schumann's symphonies in possibly the best way sound-wise.

As with the parallel released SHM-SACD featuring the 4th symphony, this album also benefits from the new DSD remastering. Stunning sound, you wouldn't guess that these recordings are almost 50 years old. A real gem of the late analogue DECCA catalogue.

I listened to the SHM-SACD UCGD-9122 with Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 4, performed by Bernard Haitink and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. This recording has always been powerful, but the new remastering by UK ClassicSound makes it shine even more. The sound is clear, rich, and very detailed. I could hear the orchestra with great depth, from the quiet passages to the huge climaxes. The performance itself is strong and dramatic, and while the symphony is far from easy-listening—it is a complex and demanding work—the excellent sound quality allows me to appreciate its full intensity.

The sound of these SACDs reproduces the content of the original tapes almost unaltered and in full. The gain in depth, spatiality, and undistorted reproduction of both high and low frequency ranges, however, also results in a slight tape noise in the background, which is not disturbing. I find it to be a successful remastering that consistently transfers the full potential of the original tapes onto the SACD without altering the sound through excessive and unnecessary post-processing.

These classic MPS recordings, which have undergone numerous releases on RBCD on different labels (e.g. Philips), have never sounded better than on this set of 4 hybrid SACDs. Although MPS remastered the tapes a few years earlier, this new remastering (in genuine DSD) for this Tower Records release was done by Christoph Stickel in Vienna, using the original tapes. I've been fascinated by these recordings for over 30 years, and I can say that you won't get a better-sounding version of these recordings.

Symphonies 4 (Vienna Philharmonic), 5 and 6 (Chicago SO) were released a few years ago as SHM SACDs, which sound excellent thanks to their remastering (Emil Berliner Studios). Now Tower Records has commissioned Emil Berliner Studios to remaster the 2nd Symphony (Chicago SO) for hybrid SACD. I listened to the SACD last night and am impressed not only by the sound but also by the interpretation. This really is a magnificent, colorful and sonically outstanding recording.

This set of 2 single layer SACD contains Peter Rosel's analogue Eterna recordings made between 1972 and 1974 with Brahms complete works for solo piano and the piano quintett op. 34 f minor. All recordings are newly remastered and it's the first high resolution release of this timeless, respected, although somewhat neglected recordings. The sound is to my ears superb and during listening, I completely forgot the actual age of these recordings. It's hard to overestimate this release - highly recommended!

This newly remastered SACD restores and reveals the original dynamic range of Karajan's Bruckner 9 from 1966 probably for the first time.

These late Japanese live recordings are highly recommended for all Bruckner enthusiasts not only because of the unique, superlative and immersive sound, but also because of the sheer intensity and passion of the music making. This is an album for the desert island, hands down.

I was waiting for quite a long time for a reissue. Thanks to the comprehensive Karajan SHM-SACD repressings, I'm happy to now have this album in my collection.

This set of 2 hybrid SACDs contains some very fine recordings of Brahms piano concertos in gloriously remastered sound. If you have a soft spot (like me) for the 1970s analogue sound and the Concertgebouw orchestra, then you'll love this new release.

The old tapes sound excellent in this new SACD release, providing a detailed glimpse into the orchestral performance. Both interpretations are captivating, likely due in part to the fact that these recordings were made during the heyday of the legendary Decca sound. I particularly appreciate how the horns and trumpets are spatially distinct, which has a favorable impact, especially in the first movement of the 6th Symphony.

Well, it's already said in the headline: this SACD belongs in my experience to the extremely good-sounding Karajan albums. To my ears, this SACD sounds really natural with a wide sound stage.

As with most of the Karajan-releases for Universal Japan on SHM-SACD, this album impresses with beautiful sound, albeit the contained repertoire isn't really mass-appealing. However, Emil Berliner Studios did a fabulous job in restoring, cleaning & remastering the tapes. In my opinion, this set sounds quite impressive and shows Karajan's 'beautiful' view on the 2nd Viennese School.

Evgeny Svetlanov’s interpretation of Rachmaninov’s symphonies, now available in a SACD set, is nothing short of breathtaking. The DSD remastering of the high-resolution PCM master files, released for the first time, brings an unprecedented level of clarity and depth to the music. Each note resonates with a richness that captures the emotional intensity of Rachmaninov’s compositions. The improved sound quality truly allows Svetlanov’s dynamic conducting and the orchestra’s potent performance to shine. This set is a must-have for any classical music enthusiast.

Although the recording itself is well-known, this new SACD enables you to enjoy it in all its full glory. Compared to the latest remastering for the Karajan 70s box, this new edition sounds warmer and in fact really full-bodied compared to the somehow anemic Karajan 70's CD. It's quite obvious for me that the remastering also includes a completely new remix.

What's not to like with this? The music itself is pure joy and entertainment. This new SACD presents it due to the new DSD remastering in the most rewarding way in my opinion. Compared to previous CD releases, the overall sound is more enveloping.

This new cycle very easily has become one of my Bruckner favorites. Although Thielemann's Bruckner reading may not be the most exciting, he undoubtfully gets the most beautiful and heartwarming playing from the Vienna Philharmonics. On top of that, the recorded sound is just sublime. Even if the recordings were made in PCM 24/96, it's worth getting this SACD version in my opinion if you have a decent SACD player. - I've compared the hires PCM 24/96 download against this SACD on a Marantz SA-10: to my ears the SACD sounds a bit more impressive.

Universal SHM-SACD usually sound quite good, but this one just sounds exceptionally good and breathtakingly natural in my opinion. I've been collecting Universal SHM-SACD for quite a time. This is one of the few cases where one has difficulty judging the actual age of the recording, because this SHM SACD sounds so impressive and haunting! If you're interested in this repertoire get it while you can!